The present invention relates to a utility stand. More particularly to a utility stand for users requiring a portable work/utility stand. The utility stand incorporates the basic equipment a musician, surveyor, artist, or any user that requires a complete platform for work, practice or performing into a single structure that is easily disassembled or collapsed for storage and transport between uses.
Prior art includes examples of a Portable Workstation, U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,355, a Portable Music Stand, U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,161. Other Portable equipment used by musicians, surveyors, and artists among others include portable footrests, portable instrument support stands, and portable reference tables and portable microphone stands.
While having some utility these separate components have several major drawbacks. First, as individual pieces of equipment they lack stability and are easily knocked over because of their small support bases. Because they are separate pieces they are cumbersome to transport and setup. Also, the separate pieces of equipment require a larger total floor area than a single integrated utility stand. This is because the separate pieces of equipment require an extended base around each piece of equipment to achieve stability. Moreover, these separate pieces of equipment duplicate functions of the individual pieces and therefore more parts are fabricated than necessary.
Another problem with portable work stations and music stands is the lack of convenient storage for tools, reference material, sheet music, and accessories, e.g. tools, paint brushes, pencils, guitar strings, markers, tuning devices to name a few which a user may require for work, study, or practice.
Another problem is the lack of comfortable seating that can be adjusted to the user needs and workstation level.
Accordingly, it is an object or the present invention to provide a portable utility stand that combines the separate components into a single utility stand configured for specific or multiple applications. This invention is focused toward the musician, but can be tailored for aforementioned users.
Another object is to minimize the number of components and complexity by combining functions of support, seating, and storage.
Yet another object is to provide an improved process for collapsing and setting up the portable utility stand for transport or storage requiring fewer set up steps. Yet another object of this invention is to configure mating parts such that the assembly cannot be setup in a manner that makes it unsafe for use.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a compact portable stand that is more resistant to tipping over when jostled or bumped than the individual pieces of equipment it replaces
Yet another object of this invention is to provide convenient storage for the users reference material and accessories.
Yet another object of this invention is to minimize the required floor area.
Yet another object of this invention to provide for additional auxiliary equipment to be attached such as a microphone, instrument tuning device, artists easel, or an umbrella to name but a few.